Dean Potter, the climber who dreamed of his own death every night

"Dean Potter had a recurring nightmare that haunted him like a shadow: he was falling into the void and would wake up just before hitting the floor. He died thousands of times before he actually passed away, and when he did, it was exactly as his dream had foretold: he crashed into a rock at 100 miles per hour during a wingsuit proximity flight."

"Potter, an American, died in 2015 at the age of 43, having established himself as a star of free solo climbing and slacklining, as well as wingsuit flying taken to the extreme. The HBO Max documentary The Dark Wizard chronicles his life story over four episodes, and it is such an impressive production that, by comparison, the Oscar-winning Free Solo seems like nothing more than boring footage."

"The Dark Wizard meticulously captures the high points of his era as a star climber thanks to a crucial piece of information: Potter's sister gave the production company his personal journals, which form the backbone of the series, along with the raw testimonies of his former (and who later ceased to be) friends, as well as his two partners: Steph Davis and Jen Rapp."

"Dean Potter made a name for himself in California's Yosemite Valley, the world's climbing mecca in the shadow of El Capitan and Half Dome, a place where feats have traditionally been fueled by colossal egos, alpha male behavior, testosterone, childish rivalries, and tight-knit male cliques. In short, a more primitive than human environment. Potter reigned supreme between 2000 and 2010, until Alex Honnold came along and dethroned him."

Dean Potter experienced a recurring nightmare in which he fell into a void and woke just before impact. He died in 2015 at age 43 after crashing into a rock at 100 miles per hour during a wingsuit proximity flight, mirroring the dream. He became known as an extreme athlete across free solo climbing, slacklining, and high-risk wingsuit flying. His life was chronicled in a four-episode HBO Max documentary built from personal journals provided by his sister and testimonies from former friends and partners Steph Davis and Jen Rapp. Potter rose to prominence in Yosemite Valley, where climbing culture often centered on ego and male cliques, and he reigned until Alex Honnold later surpassed him. His personality remained largely misunderstood, balancing genius with deep darkness.

Read at english.elpais.com